


Lost in the Fog

by oldmythologies



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Astral Plane Shenanigans, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Shiro (Voltron)-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-14
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-10-18 21:54:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10625883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oldmythologies/pseuds/oldmythologies
Summary: Each one of them gives him something on his way back to them.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [melonbug](https://archiveofourown.org/users/melonbug/gifts).



He couldn’t remember if he had a family, in the void. He couldn’t remember much of anything, really? What was his name again? It didn’t matter. This place was pure nothing and he reveled in it. Sometimes he thought he would almost smell something leading him home, but here, he didn’t have a home. It didn’t matter. It was cold, but he was used to that, right? He thought he remembered something like cold, and metal, and yelling. Lots of yelling. God, it used to be so loud. He thought he might like the silence more. It was definitely less stressful, and that was better, he thought. Stress was bad. Dreams were bad, but here he didn’t have to dream. It was much easier. He didn’t have a body either. He didn’t know why, but bodies were pesky things. His always hurt. He didn’t know why. It didn’t matter. He liked not having a body or stress or dreams or a family.

The voices felt like they came to him through miles and water and fog and space. Was it even a voice? It was warm, kind of. Comforting. But wasn’t he already comfortable? No, content? He didn’t know. It didn’t matter.

He hadn’t noticed how dark it was until the voice, rather, the feeling, brought light. It was so pretty, glowing blue in an ocean of black. It reminded him of something funny. What was the funny thing? He saw a smirk, excited eyes, but he didn’t who they belonged to. Maybe it was Blue? He bet Blue would have pretty eyes. Probably blue. 

_ Hey, Shiro _ . Oh, Shiro, that was him, right?  _ It’s been a while.  _ A while since what?  _ I hope you know that we haven’t stopped looking for you. Everyone’s a mess without you. It’s kind of funny, really.  _ The voice stopped for a second and Shiro felt the loss of the sound.  _ Well, it would be funny if you weren’t gone. I hope you know how much we miss you.  _ He thought that maybe he missed them too, whoever they were. He missed Blue.

_ I miss you a whole lot. It’s not nearly as fun to mess up when you’re not there to yell at me.  _ Why would he ever yell at Blue?  _ Last time I hit on Allura, it was like the weirdest thing ever. It was a really good line, too, y’know? I’ve been working on this one for a while. ‘Tonight, this Han doesn’t want to fly Solo.’ Genius, right! _

Shiro didn’t get it but he was pretty sure that it was decidedly not genius.

_ Anyway, there I was leaning over the dinner table, being smooth as always, Allura glared at me like always, but then, like, it was quiet. No one yelled at me and it was just so weird. Like, in that moment of silence afterwards we were all waiting for it and it really killed the mood to think about what we were waiting for, y’know? It’s ‘cause you weren’t there and it really sucks. _

_ I miss you, Shiro. It’s kind of hard to train without you. It’s like, yeah, we’re doing push ups, and running, fighting the gladiator, but it’s really not the same. Allura and Coran are trying to keep up with your regime, and Keith really is trying his best. He’s never going to be you though. He’s never going to have your insane level of selflessness. He’s never going going to be absurdly tall and kind of messed up in the head. He’ll never be our Space Dad.  _ Blue laughed, and Shiro felt the warmth through the light.  _ I know you hate it when we call you that. And yeah, you’re way too young to be our dad. But you’re definitely family. _

_ Please come home.  _ Shiro wanted to come home, he thought. Home was where Blue was and he wanted to be with Blue, but then Blue was gone and Shiro was alone and it was cold.

In the void, Shiro still had no concept of time. All he knew was that it was too long since Blue left, and he was so cold. Flashes of light started coming his mind after Blue left and they  _ hurt _ . Not because they were bad. No, they were very good, happy memories, most of the time. The problem lay in the fact that the memories were better than here, and that was hard. It was hard to know that something better and happier and warmer was somewhere else, and Shiro had no idea how to get there. He remembered Blue’s laugh and jokes and smile and his face when he did… something cool? He was the sharpshooter. Blue was proud of that.

The next time a light appeared, Shiro was less indifferent. He spotted it in the distance and as it grew closer he felt it envelop his spirit. If he had a body, Shiro was pretty sure that it would be a hug. He liked hugs, he thought. This light gave the best hugs, he knew. The yellow light was a smile and strength. It was support and fullness and happiness.

_ If you come back, I promise you, we will find the ingredients, and I will make you mac and cheese.  _ Oh my god, he loved mac and cheese. Shiro wasn’t entirely sure what it was but he knew that it was perfect and rich and warm.  _ We really need you. Pidge is falling apart. I think she feels like she’s losing her family again. Last time she lost a brother she hacked into the government and went Mulan on it all. As cool as that was, I’d hate to see what she’s planning this time. Keith would never admit it, but he’s not really made to be a leader. He’s doing really well, but it’s hard on him to try to be you. He doesn’t know why you picked him but he’s trying really hard. For you. Lance is trying to keep it together, but you know how he is. Pretends to be confident but he’s not really. He needs you just as much as the rest of us. _

_ And I’m just,  _ Yellow sighed,  _ I’m just really scared. I know, I know, action in spite of fear is bravery. That’s what you would say. And yeah, we keep doing stuff. We’re doing what we can, but Black  _ Black  _ won’t accept anyone else.  _ He needed to get to Black. Black needed him.  _ We need you.  _ Yellow needed him.

_ We can’t form Voltron without you. We’re not even working together very well right now. And don’t worry, don’t worry, we’re not fighting, but it really is like someone cut off our head. You’re our head, Shiro. We need you back. So please. Try to come home. _

Then Yellow left, his cocoon of safety shattering, and Shiro’s voice carried out into the darkness.

“No,” he whispered, “don’t leave me.”

After Yellow’s departure, he got some concept of voice back. It was strange, the lack of sound in the void, he realized. He didn’t like it. It reminded him of someplace. He didn’t know where, but he knew it was bad. This nothingness was like the box they put him in when he misbehaved. He didn’t like that box. In the dark he’d see things that weren’t there, and it was scary. He hated to be afraid.

So he sang into the dark. He liked to sing; it made him feel at home. He knew he had a home. Blue and Yellow had told him so and he knew that he wanted to be with them. He sang little nothings, melodies and words pulled from the deepest reaches of his soul. 

“I can find my way, I can go the distance…” he mumbled, unthinking. He liked that song.

He kept singing, different songs he’d never heard, until he ran out. He didn’t like the quiet, he didn’t know what to do or what to say but he needed sound. He missed Blue, Blue always knew what to do when it got too quiet. He missed Yellow, Yellow would never let him feel alone. He  _ knew  _ that there were other colors waiting for him, somewhere, but he couldn’t remember any other colors. That is, until another one jolted through him.

_ Red. _ Red carried a fire with him that Shiro knew would illuminate for miles if there was anything around for it to light up. It was so tentative for something so powerful and Shiro felt the need to reach out and touch it. He tried to, he really did. It was hard to not have a body. Red, on the other hand, had an almost physical presence. He vibrated like sound and pulsed and hummed and Shiro was almost overwhelmed by the sensation of just being close to it.

_ This is really hard, Shiro.  _ The tense energy in Red seemed to dissipate a bit at the admission. Shiro was glad. Red was always too tense.  _ I don’t know why you picked me. I’m just not ready for this, I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready for this! I’m not you! No one is you! And you’re not here!  _ Red sighed.  _ Someone needs to try to lead, I just… I just don’t know you picked me. _

_ I’m too, I don’t know, impulsive for this. You were so, so good at keeping your head most of the time. I mean, yeah, you’d lose it sometimes, but you’re human. What you’ve gone through and how well you’ve dealt with it is… well, you inspired me.  _ Red stopped.  _ No. You still inspire me. Because you’re alive.  _ Was he? He wanted to be.

_ You have to be alive. I feel like I’ve spent so much of my life trying to keep you safe. If you’re dead, does that mean I’ve failed? And if I’ve failed you, how the hell am I supposed to do right by them. _

Shiro knew that Red didn’t like to cry. He didn’t like being vulnerable. Shiro didn’t like it when Red was sad. He knew that Red was sad right now, maybe even crying.

“Don’t be sad,” he mumbled, “you’re too amazing to be sad.”

_ Shiro?!  _ the voice yelled.

Shiro reached out, and this time, he had something to reach out with. Not necessarily an arm, but his own energy wisped over to Red, comforting.

_ Shiro…  _ the voice sobbed.  _ Is this some sort of trick? You’re not here. You’re not, you’re gone! _

“I’m right here, Red,” he shushed, “it’s okay. Everything is okay.”

Red scoffed.  _ Nothing is okay. You’re still gone and now I’m going crazy. Stop torturing me. _

“I’m sorry, Red.”

_ Stop calling me Red! That’s not my name, and Shiro knew my name. _

The word came to him unbidden. “Keith.”

Red choked on something and the light cut out, and Shiro was left in the darkness once again. Emptiness was much more oppressive now that he physically felt it. He knew he wasn’t complete, that he didn’t have a body, but he now had a glow of his own. He wasn’t quite as warm as the others, as solid as the others, but the violet light made him feel less alone. Even with the darkness pressing in from all sides, now, he was able to push back.

He was starting to be able to punch holes in the inky fabric that surrounded him, opening himself to the pinpricks of light on the other side. He still didn’t know where he was but he could definitely tell that it just wasn’t right; he was supposed to be with them, with blue and yellow and red and green. He missed green, wondered where she was. He loved her, worried about her. Why didn't green ever come visit? He needed to make sure she was okay. She was okay, right?

And then she spoke for herself.

_ Shiro? _

"Green!"

_ It's him. _

It was different this time. She wasn't just a glowing source of light like the others had been, but she wasn't entirely with him. He could almost see her through the holes in his prison, but not quite. What color were her eyes? Shiro couldn't remember. He saw hazel, but they weren't her eyes.

Then came blue.

_ Are you sure? _

_ Look at the readings, it's definitely him. He's there. _

_ Did you account for-- _

_ Of course I accounted for temporal diffusion, Hunk. _

Yellow's name was Hunk. Shiro remembered.

_ Are you sure?  _ When Red -- Keith -- asked the question, he was much less sure than blue. It was almost like he refused to believe it, whatever they were talking about. What were they talking about? He didn't know. Not yet.

_ Shiro,  _ Green started,  _ can you hear us? _

"Green," he smiled. "I missed you. Are you okay?"

_ Yup. It's definitely him.  _ Blue laughed. Shiro liked his laugh.

Green took a deep breath.  _ Shiro. We're going to get you out of there. _

Shiro sucked in his breath, or whatever passed for breath here. "Does that mean I can come home.

Keith made that choking noise again. He should stop doing that, just cry if you want to Keith.

_ Yeah. Please come home. _

_ Okay. Starting it up _ .  _ Everyone, focus. _

It was an odd feeling to have your molecules ripped apart and put back together, hovering on the line between existing and not. Shiro wasn't quite sure if he was in pain. He knew pain. This wasn't quite it. Panic was probably more accurate.

He tried to breathe but his pseudo lungs weren't working anymore. He needed to breathe needed air — 

His lungs stuttered full as he swallowed oxygen.

Real oxygen.

It filled him to his toes, tingling in a way that he didn't quite remember. It was warm and cold and dry and wet and suddenly he could  _ feel  _ again.

"Shiro!" and then Keith was at his side.

He could feel Keith's hand on his jaw, turning his head to the side.

Then he felt Green—Pidge, Katie—grab his left hand. Lance hugged him, on his knees next to the table, and soon Shiro felt the comforting weight of Hunk on his chest. His breathing became more steady as he reveled in the feeling of being surrounded by family once more. He liked the sounds of Pidge's soft cries, Lance's tears wetting his shoulder. It was nice. Really nice.

He closed his eyes and let the feeling of  _ home  _ wash over him.

**Author's Note:**

> My entire goal as a writer is to make sure Shiro gets a hug at the end of every fic.
> 
> Come yell with me on the internet [@oldmythos](oldmythos.tumblr.com)
> 
> Bless the [VoltronBucks](voltronbucks.tumblr.com) discord server.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Too Soon and Not Soon Enough](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11806053) by [hufflepirate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hufflepirate/pseuds/hufflepirate)




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